Welcome back to Just Curious, Strong Women’s weekly series exploring all the random health and fitness questions you’ve always wondered about but never got the answer to.

This week, we’re exploring the surprising link between wine and breathing difficulties, and what exactly causes that effect. 

You might expect to have a sore head or dry mouth after an evening spent drinking wine with friends – but what about a tight chest or wheezy cough?

For some people, that’s a circumstance that’s all too real. It’s probably not something that happens every time they drink, or even every time they drink wine. It’s just that sometimes, out of the blue, these asthma-like symptoms appear.

So, what’s going on here? While you might not expect alcohol consumption and breathing difficulties to be linked, it turns out the explanation is pretty straightforward.  

Post-drinking breathing difficulties are primarily caused by two compounds found in almost all wines: histamines and sulphites.

If you’re an allergy sufferer, that first one might sound familiar. Histamines are a natural compound produced by the body when it comes into something it’s sensitive or allergic too, like pollen, dust or animal hair. They’re responsible for the uncomfortable symptoms we associate with allergies – such as a runny nose, watery eyes or a tight chest – because they’re designed to help eliminate an irritant from the body.

But this isn’t the only way histamines come to be. Vasoactive amines, of which histamines are just one, are also produced in foods which are stored or aged, such as fermented foods, cheeses and wine.  

And while our intestines produce enzymes designed to break histamines down, in some cases this system doesn’t work correctly, leaving histamine levels to build up post-consumption. It’s for this reason that people start to experience allergy-like symptoms, even when there is no allergen involved.

And sulphites can have a similar effect on those who are sensitive to it. “Sulphites are preservatives which are added to wine to help it ferment and to keep it from going off,” explains Ian Budd, a pharmacist at Chemist4U. “But they can also trigger allergic reactions in susceptible individuals, sometimes resulting in respiratory symptoms like wheezing.” 

There are several factors which can make someone susceptible to allergy-like symptoms after having a drink. The first is simply their drink of choice: red wine, for example, tends to be a lot higher in histamine (in fact, red wine generally has between 20-200% more histamines than white). Sparkling wines like champagne or prosecco tend to have slightly more histamines than in white wine, but red is definitely the worse.

Other forms of alcohol which also contain histamines (and sulphites) include beer and cider, so some people also suffer a reaction after drinking those.

Interestingly, perimenopause can actually increase your risk of histamine intolerance. Although the exact reason for this is not fully understood, it’s thought to be related to how hormonal fluctuations can impact the accumulation and breakdown of histamine. Progesterone, for example, helps to stabilise mast cells (the cells which are responsible for histamine release), so when it decreases during perimenopause, histamine-related symptoms may be exacerbated due to increased build-up. 

Oestrogen is also known to increase histamine release, so the spikes in oestrogen which happen during perimenopause could also exacerbate this.

On the flipside, those with asthma are more likely to have a sulphite sensitivity – in fact, the two are often linked. According to Allergy UK, up to one in 10 (13%) of people with asthma also have sulphite sensitivity.

This might be one of the reasons why some people with asthma find alcohol triggers their symptoms, but more research is needed. According to Asthma UK, one study found that around 1 in 3 people with asthma said alcohol triggered their symptoms. 

Unless you’ve been diagnosed with histamine intolerance or sulphite sensitivity, addressing the root cause of your issues can be tricky. In general, your best bet is to be wary about what you’re drinking and try to avoid drinks which are high risk.

“While some companies are starting to create wines that contain no added sulphites, the fermentation process involved in creating wine means that sulphites will always be present in small amounts,” Budd says. “Reading the labels on wine bottles can help you to identify wines with fewer sulphites and reduce your chances of symptoms like wheezing.”

A good way to approach this issue is to note down any potential triggers as soon as you start experiencing symptoms, so you can notice any patterns. 

Otherwise, Budd adds: “Antihistamines may offer relief for histamine-related symptoms. However, it’s important to note that many antihistamines do not mix well with alcohol, especially allergy medications that can make you drowsy.”

Of course, there is the option to go alcohol-free, but many alcohol-free beers and wines still contain sulphites and histamines due to the way they’re produced. Because of this, it’s best to stick to alcohol-free spirits.

At the end of the day, it’s a good idea to speak to your GP about your experiences so they can monitor your symptoms and take action if necessary. They can also advise on potential medication and any other interventions you can make.  

Images: Getty